Cheaper Than Dirt
When something is really cheap it’s said to be cheaper than dirt. That’s incredibly cheap. That could be a once in a lifetime deal. It’s even cheaper than dirt cheap which is in itself very inexpensive.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words. Words come from many different sources. Latin provides the roots for many English words. Some words derive from Old English words which derived from Latin. It’s an interesting study. Cheaper than dirt has its own origin .
In time some words mean opposite of what they originally meant. For example, the term girl used to refer to a young child of either gender. Over time it began to be used as a slur, or insult, meaning a man who had not grown up. Then it took on the modern meaning of a young woman. That flip took place in 1530. It is something of a word expressing love from about 1648. It was expanded to girlfriend in 1892. The Greek root meant a virgin. It makes sense to use it to describe young single people.
Now for the etymology for the term cheaper than dirt. It’s an ancient expression. The phrase denoted things that were worthless, and therefore given rather than sold. There was a similar phrase dirt cheap. Although, according to the words, it would mean something even cheaper. It replaced dog cheap in the 1860’s.
Some people value dirt a great deal. For example in Haiti dirt is so valuable that Haitians will cross into the Dominican Republic to steal topsoil . Hitler stole dirt by the train load. He used it for gardens. His people demanded a lot of food.
Top soil isn’t cheaper than dirt. Sometimes people pay a premium price for dirt. Some companies have taken advantage of the name to denote that they offer bargain prices for soil and other gardening products. These are companies like The Dirt Cheap Mulch Company. It even has its own website.
Now you know the meaning of cheaper than dirt.
http://dirtcrazy.com/